Supporting the Science of Consciousness

Founded in 2011, the Foundation supports various research programs at US universities and research institutes to advance the understanding of consciousness through theoretical and experimental research.

What is Consciousness?

My curiosity about consciousness started in the late eighties when I asked myself if it was possible to make a conscious computer. At that time I was working in the field of artificial neural networks at Synaptics, a company I co-founded in 1986, and the study of consciousness was not considered a proper subject of...

Life at the Cusp of Complexity

I believe that we have yet to grasp the fundamental difference between living systems and our computers. In my opinion the difference lies in the much higher level of holistic complexity of a living system compared to our machines. This holistic complexity may allow also a much tighter coupling between consciousness and living organisms. Life,...

A Framework for the Union of Science and Spirituality

Over the last few centuries there has been much talk about the union of science and spirituality but little real progress has been made, and the two fields have remained largely separate. In the meantime, science has grown more assertive and authoritative. In today’s world, the relationship between science and spirituality ranges from hostility to...